Flynn Says He Met With Newsom Staff in Group Lobbying Effort

Billionaire Greg Flynn, who owns two dozen Panera Bread franchises in California, said he suggested excluding fast-casual restaurants from a bill raising minimum wages for fast-food workers in the state, but was surprised when chains that make and sell bread were specifically exempted from the final legislation.

“To be clear, at no time did I ask for an exemption or special considerations,” Flynn said in a statement late Thursday after Bloomberg News reported that Governor Gavin Newsom pushed for places that make and sell bread to be excluded from the bill. “I was surprised when the exemption appeared in ...